Dr. Jack Ramsey On Yao: On the Rockets' Play-off aspirations: Question: Response: I think that if Yao averages 12 points and we are relatively healthy, then we are a lock in the West. However, I think he is going to average more around 9 boards a game. 6 should come to him just because he is 7'5". I am happy to hear that he thinks that Yao will be a factor for a long time to come in the league though. Can't wait for the season to start so we can start showing what we really can do!
I love when Jack chats... I always seem to get a question through to him! (Randy Houston).. thanks for the post and I thought his answers were fair and accurate.
those numbers that dr. jack predicts are probably accurate. yao is not a good rebounder and he isnt a shot blocker, but he will probably have about 1.5 bpg. ming will not average more than 7 rpg...just because he is 7'5 doesnt mean he will get boards.
Hehe...tell Art Long and Erick Barkley that! (I think those are the names.) I know what you mean, though. Griffin is more of a real shot-blocker, relying on timing and stuff, while Yao just uses his size. (though he's not bad in using his size.)
Being 7-5 doesn't tell me he is a shot-blocker and rebounder, his stats in the CBA tell me he is a rebounder and a shot-blocker. He averaged something like 13 to 14 rebounds per game and about 4 blocks per game, where are you getting that he isn't a great rebounder and he isn't a shot-blocker!?
ok well in the world basketball championships he had one game that skewed his shot blocking numbers and that was against like some no-name team. all the rest of the games he had zero, one or two blocks if i remember correctly. eddie griffin is a shot blocker. danny fortson is a rebounder. ben wallace is both a shot blocker and a rebounder. they don't simply rely on size to get their stats they use their talent and hard work to get those numbers. yao is already a great offensive talent, but his defensive ability is not good right now. he is a huge defensive plus solely because of his size, not because of his defensive instincts. same goes for his rebounding as well. he isnt a great shot blocker or rebounder and his numbers will show that this year. he needs to develop these parts of his game and if i am wrong then i will be happily surprised. also i think we already know the CBA sucks so his stats from there are kind of hard to compare with the numbers he will get in the NBA. i'm just gonna take a wild guess, but i imagine that the average player height in the NBA is probably about 6 inches taller and i'm pretty sure everyone in the NBA much jumps higher than everyone in the CBA. also everyone in the NBA plays much more physical than in the CBA as yao has already testified to. all of those things relate to shot blocking and rebounding. yao needs to learn how to jump and then he will become a significantly better shotblocker and rebounder.
I think he actually averaged 19 in the CBA, which is really high no matter who you are playing against. I think that he can average about 9 this year, and I hope that he can get up to atleast 12 or 13 in the next few years. I know height isn't the only factor in getting rebounds, but it will assure him atleast 5 or 6 a game if he gets minutes. I expect him to go and get a few more every game too.
